Letter-box.



No. 792,004. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

P. GLBNSEY.

LETTER BOX.

APPLICATION FILED 001 .7,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

*3 Q Hy PATENTBD JUNE 13, 1905. F. GLBNSEY.

LETTER Box.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNTTED STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

ATENT Orrrcn.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 792,004, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed October '7, 1904. Serial No. 227,557-

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK OLENsEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Lebanon, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in letter-boxes designed, primarily, as a house letter-box to be applied to a door for the deposit of mail by the lettercarrier.

It has for its objects, among others, to provide a simple, novel. and cheap construction of letter-box applicable to any door or other support and having provision for the holding of packages or other mail-matter upon the inside of the house, the opening through which the mail is to be inserted being I normally closed, but closed by a movable slide which is spring-actuated, so that as the knob or handle is turned the closure flies back in its guides, and as it is drawn to its closed position against the tension of the spring it is automatically locked in such closed position. Simple mechanism for this purpose is provided, which is all inclosed within the thickness of the door and where it is protected from the influences of the weather and also where it cannot be tampered with.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a view looking at the outside of the door with my improvements applied. Fig. 2 is a similar view looking at the inside of the door or support to which the improvements are applied. Fig. 3 is a face view in detail with a portion broken away. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, 1 designates a door or other support to which it is desired to apply the present improvement. In the present instance it is shown as provided upon the interior with a plate 2, which may be of any desired shape, preferably of open-Work, and Mixed in any suitable manner, being designed to hold the mail-matter that is inserted from the outside. This plate is affixed at the proper distance below the opening in the door through which the mail-matter is inserted to catch it and prevent its falling upon the floor. This plate is designed to serve no other function. The door is provided with an opening 3, and upon the inner face of the door opposite and surrounding this opening is a plate 4, which is merely a marginal plate, which is surmounted by another plate 5, having an opening 6, coincident with the opening in the door and also with the opening 7 in the plate 4, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5. A spacing-plate 8, of thin material, may be employed between these two plates when desired, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5. The plates are secured to the inner face of the door by suitable means, as nails or the like 9.

10 is a hinged closure to the opening upon the inner side of the door. It may be hinged in position in any suitable manner, as upon a suitable hinge 11, which may be disposed either at the upper or lower edge of the closure, being shown in one instance, Fig. 4, as at the lower edge and in Fig. 2 at the upper edge. This is designed to be normally closed from the inside.

12 is a sliding closure for the opening at the front of the door. It is mounted to slide in suitable guides formed between the plates 13 and 14, secured to the front face of the door and provided with coincident openings which are coincident with that in the door, as will be clearly understood upon reference to Fig. 4. This slide is provided upon its inner face With a series of indentations 15, as seen best in Fig. 5, for a purpose which will soon be made apparent.

16 is a vertical shaft mounted in suitable bearings in the top and bottom plates 17 and 18, which are disposed Within the opening in the door and braced at opposite ends by the vertical posts 19, as seen in Figs. 4: and 5. 20 is a spring having one end fast to the said shaft and its other end fast, as seen at 21, to one of the posts 19.

Fast on the shaft 16 is a toothed Wheel 22, the teeth 23 of which are designed to engage in the indentations 15 0f the slide 12, as will be seen clearly in Fig. 5. Fast on the said shaft is a ratchetwheel 24, with which is designed to engage the pawl 25, pivoted at 26 on the side of the toothed wheel, as seen best in Fig. 5, being held to its engagement with the said ratchet-wheel by a spring 27, fast at one end to the said toothed wheel and its free end bearing against the pawl, as will be clearly understood from Fig. 5. The end of the spring may be held in any suitable manner.

The slide 12 is provided with a suitable handle or the like 28, by which it may be manipulated. The slide is provided upon its upper edge with a notch 29, as seen clearly in Fig. 3, with which is designed to engage a pawl 30, pivoted at 31 between the plates 13 and 14, as seen best in Fig. 3, and held to its engagement in the said notch by a spring 32, suitably secured at one end, as at 33, in a recess 34 in one of the plates, and on the extended end of this pivot of the pawl is secured a handle or the like 35, through the stem of which may project a cross-pin 36, as seen in the different views, to aid in turning of the same.

The operation will be apparent and needs to be but briefly described. Normally the parts are in the position seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the closure 10 being closed and the slide 12 also being in its closed position, where it is held by the engagement of the pawl 30 in the notch 29 of the slide. When the letter-carrier comes along, he has simply to turn the handle 35 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, which will compress the spring 82 and disengage the pawl 30 from the notch 29, when the spring 20 will force the slide 12 to the right and disclose the opening in the door, through which the letter-carrier places the mail-matter, and as the mail is placed through the opening it opens the closure 10 and the mail is deposited upon the inside of the room,

where it falls into the receptacle formed by the plate 2, as will be readily understood. After depositing the mail the letter-carrier pulls back the slide 12 by its handle or knob 28, and as it is moved to its limit to the left the pawl 30 engages in the notch 29, and the slide is thus locked in position closed. As the slide 12 is moved to the left the teeth on the toothed wheel are engaged by the indentations in the slide, and the spring 20 is thus wound up ready to throw the slide to the right again whenever its notch 29 and the pawl 30 are disengaged.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

hat is claimed as new is 1. In a letter-box, a s1i ring-actuated slide having indentations formed directly in its rear face, a toothed wheel on the shaft of the spring engaged in the said indentations and means directly engaging the slide for locking the slide in its closed position.

2. In a letter-box, a slide, a spring for moving the same in one direction, a toothed wheel on the shaft of the spring for engaging the slide, and an automatic lock directly engaging the slide for holding the slide in its closed position.

3. In a letter-box, a slide, a spring, a shaft on which the spring is wound, a toothed wheel on the said shaft to engage with the slide, and a ratchet-Wheel on the shaft of the spring, and a spring-actuatcd pawl carried by the toothed wheel and engaging said ratchet-wheel.

4. In a letter-box, a slide, a spring, a shaft on which it is Wound, a toothed wheel on said shaft to engage indentations in the slide, a ratchet-wheel on the said shaft, a spring-pawl pivoted on the toothed wheel to engage the ratchet, and an automatic lock for the slide as it is moved to its closed position.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FREDERICK CLENSEY.

Witnesses:

1V. IV. DUnKIN, HA'rTm J. (:irANVEY. 

